don't it make my brown eyes blue

So we went to the Chinese New Year Party this past Saturday. Ladybug was really looking forward to it. We walked in along with a family from our orphanage group. Very exciting for the girls. We had a nice lunch, and it was time for the Dragon parade. Ladybug and her sweet friend got in line behind a few girls who were slightly older. Just a little older. Maybe two years. I was snapping photos and using my phone to tape the parade, and the sweet scene between Ladybug and the others. Then , I saw it. One of the older girls in front of her [ that we have known since she came to America] turned and said something really ugly to my baby. I saw the hurt in my baby's eyes. I would have given anything in the world to have saved her from that. She did the best she could - she walked through one lap of the dragon parade, and then she stopped, looked at me, and put her sweet little hands up to her sweet little eyes. I ran, picked her up, and held her very, very close to my heart.

So , why is it that little girls have to say ugly things? I know it isn't just little girls that do it - I teach High School, and I see it in older girls as well as teachers. It happens. I get it. But I sure hate that it has already happened to my baby. My four year old.

I am catching on that 'developing a more forgiving heart' is going to be my lenten focus this year , and I am okay with that.

Again and Again

Well, I just don't know why we have not updated this blog in so long - guess we have been extra busy with school, holidays, decorations [ and putting them up is STILL more fun than taking them down.]

At any rate, my dear friend Leigh Anne sent us a box of Christmas-ish gifts, and in the box was a flash drive containing photos from our trip to Italy in 2011. It was a wonderful experience, and I have loved looking at all these pictures. What I did not love so much was looking at the size of my backside in some of these photographs! At least I know I have lost some weight since then. Thank goodness!
Second semester is humming right along - we are all settled in , and looking forward to some good times. This will be the first year we have not gone out of the country in quite some time, but that is not such a bad thing, really.  Plenty of fun to be had in our wonderful country.
Today I was helping a student write her own 'declaration of Independence' and I was reminded just how fortunate we are to live where we do. By the time we finished the paper, several students had joined us, and they agreed that America is quite a wonderful place, really.  Made for a great day.

I am looking forward to getting to sing "Again and Again" during the early service next week - Sherry is preaching, and asked me to sing that, along with "Bless the Lord, oh my soul" - I have been singing it in my classroom , to prepare. [ in case you hear something coming out of the art building, it's just me]